NHL to discuss mandatory visor usage at competition committee meeting

The NHL is discussing mandatory visor usage to mitigate against injuries to the face, like the one suffered by the Rangers' Marc Staal (above) in March. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Mandatory visor usage will be the main topic of discussion during the NHL's competition committee meeting on Tuesday, reports the Montreal Gazette. The meeting comes about three months following a career-threatening eye injury to Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, who took a puck to the face.

The issue was highly debated prior to Staal's injury, with the league being in favor of a rule mandating that all players wear visors to protect their faces. The NHL's Players' Association prefers that it remain an individual choice.

Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, who will be present at the meeting, prefers that the visors be "grandfathered" in. From the Montreal Gazette report:

"My feeling is that I'd like to see them be grandfathered in," said Holland. "The players basically wear visors almost at every league other than the NHL. I certainly understand players that have been playing without them and it's their way to make a living. In the middle and later in their careers they don't want to change, but if you grandfather them in, you could slowly through time have all our players wearing visors."